Abstract
Communication between resource users has repeatedly been shown to be of significant importance in environmental management. The proposed causal mechanisms are numerous, ranging from the ability of users to share information to their ability to negotiate solutions to common problems and dilemmas. However, what is less known is under what conditions these potential causal mechanisms are important and if, in cases when different means other than communication were available, whether they would be more effective in accomplishing these objectives. An example of such an alternative could be that instead of (or in addition to) users being reliant on within-group communication to acquire useful information an intermediary—such as a public agency—could provide that for them. Furthermore, the different causal mechanisms making communication beneficial might not be independent, neither in respect to each other, nor in respect to other externally imposed means to facilitate better environmental management, and not in regards to different contextual factors. This study makes use of laboratory experiments in an innovative way to explore these questions and specifically test the relative importance of communication in managing complex social-ecological system characterized by common-pool resource dilemmas, ecological interdependencies, and asymmetric resource access–all characteristics being present simultaneously. We find that when resources users are confronted with such a complex challenge, the ability to communicate significantly increases individual and group performance. What is more surprising is the negative effect on overall outcomes that providing external information has on outcomes, when the users also have the ability to communicate. By analysing the content of the conversations we are able to suggest several possible explanations on how the combination of external information provisioning and user communications act to increase individual cognitive load and drives intra-group competition, leading to a significant reduction of individual and group outcomes.
Highlights
The critical role of the communication amongst resource users, stakeholders, and different kinds of beneficiaries and authorities in facilitating sustainable management of the environment is firmly established in research and practice [1,2]
All of which is in line with our expectations given that communication is important both for enhanced learning and achieving a better understanding of the resource dynamics (EBM) and for enabling users to collectively address common-pool resource dilemmas and challenges (CPR) (Fig 1)
Our results show that both external information and communication, separately, enhance actors’ abilities to better manage complex resources characterised by asymmetries, ecological interdependences, and where an actor’s extraction of a resource has reduced the available amount that others can use
Summary
The critical role of the communication amongst resource users, stakeholders, and different kinds of beneficiaries and authorities in facilitating sustainable management of the environment is firmly established in research and practice [1,2]. The suggested causal mechanisms linking communication to improved management are plentiful, but less is known about when and under what circumstances one causal pathway is more important than another [3]. This presents a theoretical puzzle for scholars, but it makes it more difficult to devise new policies and management approaches that are able to effectively address the many challenges that characterise environmental management/governance. In this study we will approach the question why exactly communication is important taking a stance in two broadly defined and widely used theoretical frameworks, ecosystem-based management (EBM) and common-pool resource (CPR) theory. The EBM framework overtly attempts to engage with the complexity and uncertainty inherent in the management of social-ecological systems; the need to continuously learn and adapt is strongly emphasized [7]
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